Diamond Gin 45%
Tasted Nov/ Dec 2013
The nose is soft and quite citrusy with subtle juniper and berry notes. Fresh and crisp with lemon and a light grainy spirit note.
Soft, slightly herbal and grassy on the palate with juniper and citrus along with some lightly woody sweet spices. Long with the spices becoming slightly bitter. Conclusion: Elegant and subtle but quite complex.
Caorunn Gin 41.8%
Distilled at the Balmenach Distillery using six traditional botanicals and five Celtic ones – Rowan berry, heather, bog myrtle, dandelion and Coul blush apple. Produced in small batched of around 100 litres, the botanicals are infused in grain spirit, vaporised through a copper berry chamber and blended with local Rasmudin Burn water.
Tasted: Nov 2009
Crisp and dry, with quite a neutral nose. It’s quite London-dry like with hints of citrus peel, juniper along with a light whisky-esque character, a touch of resin and a floral note. The palate is very good. Full and fleshy, quite floral with a lovely complexity of citrus, berries and leafy herbs. A brief sweet note appears on the middle presumably from the Coul blush apple, followed by a soft bitterness. Good length with a distinct peppery finish.
Boe Superior Gin 47%
Tasted Jan 2014
The nose is dense oily and very nutty with hints of coconut, juniper and perfumed lemon.
Soft and very woody on the palate with just a touch of juniper and lightly earthy berry notes. Quite an alcoholic and mouth-watering finish with a hint of sweet Turkish Delight. Conclusion: Lovely spirit but is it really gin?!
Boe Superior Gin 47%
Re-Tasted: Feb 2014
A fresh, slightly nutty and slightly floral nose of perfumed rose petals, sweet juniper, pepper and a touch of slightly earthy spice.
The palate is fresh and herbal with a lovely complexity of juniper, fern, grass and watercress(?). Again some nutty spirit character comes through along with developing perfume and earthy spices. Long and impressively peppery. Quite mouth-watering with the slightly perfumed rose notes lingering. Conclusion: A lovely, intense gin. That intensity is probably helped by it’s relatively high abv.
Boe Superior Gin 47%
Re-Tasted: Oct 2014
Nose: Lovely smoky aromas with hints of juniper, citrus, liquorice and woody spices. The spirit character is slightly creamy and nutty, adding a touch of coconut. Powerful but superbly balanced.
Palate: Full and very juniper led. Sweet but earthy with a touch of citrus and plenty of wood spice and floral notes.
Finish: Intense and citric with lingering juniper. Although it does bitter a little at the end it really packs a peppery punch!
Conclusion: A big, powerful gin with plenty of character.
Ancient Mariner London Dry 50%
Tasted Nov/ Dec 2013
Very neutral and vodka-like nose with hints of earth and creamy vanilla.
The palate is surprisingly sweet with sugar coated lemon rind and juniper. Drying, woody and alcoholicfinish. Pleasant citrus fade though. Conclusion: Very dull nose with a more interesting palate.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 